Words
by Aiconx
Summary: Words can sometimes do more bad than good, and are not always needed. Zoro/Sanji drabble


Sometimes words aren't needed. They have a tendency of coming out the wrong way, twisting things in bad directions. They can hurt people in ways beyond any sword or fist, or leg for that matter. And the fact that a lack of words is sometimes a good thing is a fact well known by the crew on a certain ship.

They had learned this by watching the two rowdiest members of their little gang. That's right, the cook and the swordsman. A pair well known for beating each other up, both verbally and physically. It had been the natural order of things. The strawhats had gotten used to it, they expected it to happen, really. It meant that all was well. If other pirate crews were worried by something, they would be reassured by for example the calming words of their captain or first mate. But that was not the case for the strawhats, oh no. For them things were not back to normal before their two hot-headed fighters were spitting insults at each other and/or trying to cause the other immense pain. Yep, that meant all was well.

But any sane person can tell you that's not a healthy relationship, two people should not spend all their time throwing insults at each other. And of course the two men didn't spend all their time like that, they had their moments of comradeship. They shared a drink, trained or fished together. But as time went by and they spent so much of their days hating the other their rare smiles became less and less frequent and more and more tensed. Their 'manly hate game' was becoming a habit. Not only one they followed in their daily lives, but also a habit in their souls. A rule of sorts. Sanji became more and more convinced that he actually did hate that green haired bastard. And Zoro started believing he wanted that love-cook dead, for real.

They started glaring at each other even when they were all alone. Could start a fight over trivial things, which they of course used to do before as well, but now those fights could occur without audience. And that mocking friendly tone in their voices soon disappeared. And instead came a fire in their eyes. An angry, hateful fire.

Their nakama noticed this. One by one. It was hard to tell if Robin of Luffy had been first, but the others soon followed. Nami realised when Sanji ignored her first request of a drink to continue insulting Zoro, he didn't come dancing to her side until her third call! Something was seriously wrong.

Soon they'd began talking about what to do. Luffy had been surprisingly alert, taking part of the discussion like an adult, serious look on his face. This was about his nakama's well-being. A _very _serious matter. As serious as it got for the rubber-man.

The crew had considered multiple ideas. Taking them both aside and talking some sense into them, beating them up, putting them into a locked room and force them to talk it out, beat them up, let them fight it out, dump them in the sea for a few hours, beat them up… the list went on.

But before anything could be done, the two find their own way of fixing things.

They'd had the biggest fight ever. EVER:

The two had stood on opposite ends of the deck, screaming their lungs out. Their voices had been so strong, like thunder filled with wrath and other emotions. They hadn't been lashing out physically at each other, just this rage-filled yelling.

The crew could do nothing but stare at the scene. They had not been able to catch the words their mates were screaming, they were too taken aback by their force. They could feel the electricity between their chef and first mate as they discharged their feelings in this storm. And the sky had stormed with them, only after the rain started pouring down upon them all did the break it off. Sanji'd turned on the spot and claimed privacy by banging the door to the galley so hard it could be heard over the thunder. Zoro had followed right after, first pounding his fist into the mast, making it vibrate with force then rushing off to the men's quarters. And Robin could swear she saw liquid streaming it's way down his face that wasn't rain.

They crew had stood there for a while, not knowing what to do. But they'd then retreated down to the big aquarium room, not wanting to disturb their two friends. . They spent the night there.

The rest of the crew had thought that it was over between the two, the little that'd been left of their nakamaship was gone.

But they couldn't have been more wrong.

At first it was horrible. The swordsman and the cook had could not avoid each other for too long. They had to move around and everybody needed to eat. The tension between the two had been to heavy it was almost like you could touch it. They'd not spoken a word to each other. It had been very uncomfortable for all parts, the rest of the crew included. But when Luffy and the other noticed that their two friends were not going to kill each other and that the outlooks for another verbal fight were not great, the began to relax. As Luffy told Nami once, he was sure his nakama would work it out.

Which they did. But not by 'talking it out'.

It began with something as simple as eye contact. And that first little nanosecond their eyes were locked they both saw their own emotions reflected in the others eyes. Shame, sadness and hurt. They both quickly averted their eyes of course, both filled with more shame but it was still contact between the two.

That short eye contact escalated into longer looks and maybe a nod. (Of course noticed by members of the crew). Their nods turned into mumbled "thank you"s and helping with the dishes or the folding of fishing nets. They didn't start talking or arguing like before, but slowly they got comfortable around each other again. They relaxed in each others presences, got used to each other again.

And as the first smiles began to appear between the two, Luffy was finally able to relax completely. Which he celebrated by grinning like a madman and pulling his two nakama into a rubbery-hug.

And maybe this is why the archaeologist of the crew wasn't all that surprised when she one day silently emerged from under deck to take the last watch by dawn, and found the silent pair sitting on the railing. Next to each other, facing the sunrise. Robin couldn't help but smile when she saw the cook's golden head leaning on the swordsman's shoulder, or said swordsman's arm resting around the chef's waist.

And if Robin's used her devil's powers to take a look at the pair from the front, which she'd of course never do, she would have noticed that new fire starting to light up in their blue respectively green eyes as they gazed at each other. A new fire that was more than the sunrise mirroring itself.


End file.
